Device for compensating recoil torques in tank turrets



March 4, 1969- s. B. AGREN 3,430,534

DEVICE FOR COMPENSATING RECOIL TORQUES IN TANK TURRETS Filed Oct. 24, 1967 nwgn'roa svnn amen AGREN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,430,534 DEVICE FOR COMPENSATING RECOIL TORQUES IN TANK TURRETS Sven Birger Agren, Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Hagglund & Soner, Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Oct. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 677,693 Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 27, 1966,

14,7 43/ 66 US. C]. 89-42 4 Claims Int. Cl. F41f 19/06 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The recoil torque of a tank turret the gun or cannon of which is excentrically mounted in compensated by means of a swingable arm connected with the cannon by a telescoping rod or a torsion spring rod, and also connected through a coupling with a driving member such as a rotary gear wheel which meshes with a fixed gear crown or similar member.

This invention relates to a device for compensating recoil torques in tank turrets and refers more particularly to a device for compensating the turning of a turret caused by the recoil force of a cannon which is excentrically mounted in the rotary turret.

In prior art tanks cannons are mounted in the middle of the turret, so that the recoil force of the cannon can not produce a torque and thus there can be no turning of the turret.

However, in many cases it is advantageous to place the cannon to one side of the center of the turret and thereby provide space at the side of the cannon, where for example, a member of the crew of the tank can be located. This side arrangement of the cannon will produce a torque as the result of which the turret will turn.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate this drawback.

Other objects will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to eliminate this torque by coupling the cannon with an arm in such manner that the movement of the arm is transmitted only in one and the same direction, the arm actuating a gear wheel or the like which meshes with a member, such as a gear crown, receiving the driving force and fixed to the turret carrier, for example, a tank.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic top view of a turret provided with a cannon and a compensating device of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view showing a somewhat different embodiment.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic side view of a detail of the construction shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 shows a turret mounted upon a tank and carrying a weapon 12 which may be an automatic cannon. The recoil force of the cannon is received by a first spring 14. For reasons of location, the cannon is not placed in the middle of the turret but to one side thereof, indicated by the line a. In this position of the cannon, the recoil force will result in a torque, causing the turret to turn clockwise; the torque is produced by the force P acting upon the spring 14 and the lever arm a of the cannon in relation to the center C of the turret.

3,430,534 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 In accordance with the present invention, this torque is compensated by producing a torque acting in the opposite direction. For that purpose the cannon 12 is connected through a pivot 16 with a telescoping rod 16 which is connected with a swingable arm 18. The arm 18 actuates a driving member, such as a gear wheel, 20 by a diagrammatically indicated coupling 19. The coupling 19 is the usual coupling of the type well known in the art. The gear wheel 20 is rotatably mounted in the turret and meshes with a fixed member such as gear crown 22 which is firmly connected to a fixed part of the tank (not shown). There is also provided a second spring 24 which in the example shown FIG. 1 encloses the outwardly extending inner rod portion of the telescoping rod 16 and which has one end connected to the pivot 16' and the other end connected to an edge of the outer rod portion of the telescoping rod 16. The spring 24 during recoil of the cannon is tensioned by a force D When the cannon 12 is in its position of rest, the gear wheel 20 is disconnected from the arm 18, so that the turret 10 can be turned without influencing the compensating device. During the beginning of the recoil, the arm 18 is swung clockwise to the extent of a certain angle and then the coupling 19 connects the gear wheel 20 with the arm 18. As the recoil continues, the gear wheel 20 is alfected by the torque,

(a) P 24X 18 This torque affects the turret 10 as a torque 24X 1s 22 20 The term r is the radius of the gear crown 22. The direct torque produced by the recoil and acting upon the turret amounts to By providing proper measurements for the parts 24, 18 and 20 of the compensating device, it is possible to balance the above direct torque (c) against the torque (b) transmitted through the gear wheel 20 so that a complete rotary compensation of the turret is attained. Since the torque (c) is nearly identical to the torque (b), the turret can be turned continuously during steady firing. This turning can take place with or opposite toa certain torque difierence, which can be set by adjusting the spring 24. Since the gear wheel 20 is always disconnected when the cannon returns to its position of rest, the efiect of the spring 24 is switched off or brought to zero a certain number of times per second, depending upon the speed of firing. The tension of the spring 24 is directly dependent upon the turning of the turret between two shots corresponding to the speed of rotation.

In the construction shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the lastmentioned spring is replaced by a torsion spring 30 having the shape of a thin rod which is enclosed by a tube 32. The lower end of the tube 32 is closed by a plate 34 in which the torsion spring rod 30 is rigidly mounted. The torsion spring rod 30 can turn elastically clockwise or counterclockwise, as seen in the direction of the arrow 38. Both ends of the tube 32 are mounted in the turret 10, as indicated diagrammatically by the numeral 38 in FIG. 2, so that the tube can follow the elastic turnings of the torsion rod. Thus the tube 32 serves as the member transmitting the forces acting upon the torsion spring 30 and the forces emanating from the torsion spring 30. The upper end 36 of the torsion spring 30 is provided with a swinging arm 40 which is connected with the weapon 44 by means of an arm 42 (FIG. 2). A second arm 46 is attached to the tube 32 at a certain distance from the arm 42. The arm 46 is coupled with a swinging arm 50 by means of a link 48 in a manner similar to the arrangement of the swinging arm 18 in the construction shown in FIG.

1. The swinging arm 50 is connected with a coupling 52 which actuates a gear Wheel 54 adapted to mesh with a gear crown 22 corresponding to the gear crown 22 of FIG. 1. Thus the turret 10 can be turned back and the recoil force of the cannon can be compensated.

It is apparent that different variations and modifications may be made in the illustrated examples within the scope of the present invention. For example, the gear wheel 20 and the gear crown can be replaced by a friction wheel having a frictional surface cooperating with the turret carrier.

What is claimed is:

-1. A torque compensating device for a turret rotatably mounted upon a support and carrying an excentrically mounted cannon, said device comprising a swingable arm, a member resiliently coupling said arm with said cannon, a coupling connected with said arm, a driving member rotated by said coupling, and a fixed member attached to said support and adapted to engage said driving member to stop the rotation thereof.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said driving member is a gear wheel and said fixed member is a gear crown.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first-mentioned member is a telescoping rod, and a spring enclosing said rod.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first-mentioned member is a torsion spring rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,126,791 3/1964 Chiabrandy 8942 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

STEPHEN C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

